1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for providing light from a source along flexible fiberoptic cables and particularly to such apparatus including adaptors using bifurcated fiberoptic segments for splitting light from a source between a plurality of terminal illuminating devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In surgical medicine today, fiberoptics has come to play an important role in providing illumination to previously inaccessible areas as well as better controlled illumination to previously accessible areas. An example of the latter is the surgeon's headlamp. Since, during a surgical operation, continuous performance of all equipment is critical, light sources feeding fiberoptic cables for medical use commonly have provision for an immediate changeover in case of failure of a lightbulb. Some sources have two or more lightbulbs that may be switched into position by a panel switch while others have two or more complete light sources within the same housing selectable by a panel switch simultaneously or in the alternative.
In surgical use, it is not uncommon to require fiberoptic illumination for two or more devices simultaneously. For example, in eye operations, an ophthalmascope and a surgical microscope. In abdominal surgery, a headlamp and a retractor with integral illuminating may both be required. Either an additional light source is require or a twin light source loses its insurance aspect of an alternative source on failure.